It’s a
Cat’s
Life
By John Burkitt
Educational Director
Tiger Touch University Resort
What’s for Dinner?
BIRDS ON THE WING:
The African Serval eats a variety of
small prey, but when he has a taste for
fresh birds, he uses his remarkable long
body to leap straight up in the air to
catch the birds he flushes from the tall
grass.
FRESH FISH:
Many wild cats like fresh fish when they
can get it, but the Fishing Cat of Borneo
specializes in aquatic cuisine. Your
housecat may avoid the water--most
domestics hate it. The Fishing Cat jumps
right in.
FAST FOOD:
The cheetah catches medium sized prey
like antelopes where speed is the secret
of success. With a burst of speed that
would do well on a highway, they catch
dinner to go. They have to eat fast too,
because they are often driven off their
kills.
LEFTOVERS:
Despite their reputation as hunters, lions
are willing to eat what they find
unguarded. They also eat what is
guarded if it belongs to something
smaller. Their digestive tract is strong
enough to eat old carrion (leftovers).
GRASS:
Yes, grass. They don't eat very much,
but once in a while a snack of grass
seems to aid a cat's digestion. Your
domestic cat will also eat grass from
time to time. Wild cats have also been
seen eating fruits and berries, though
they strongly prefer meat.
Dressed for Success
STRIPES:
The tiger hides among the tall reeds and
trees of his home. Though his orange
fur is bright to you, most pre find it hard
to tell reddish colors from greenish
ones. His has white fur beneath where
shadows would be and dark fur on the
top where the sunlight would be. All
these effects together make it hard for
the prey to see the tiger coming.
SPOTS:
The jaguar lives in the forest, and the
pattern of its spots blends with the
rustling leaves and the changing
patterns of light under the trees.
Sometimes this cat will wait on a low
branch for prey to pass beneath and
spring down upon it.
SOLIDS:
In a golden sea of grass, the lion is just
the right color...which is to say all one
color. Like the tiger, the lion is not very
fast. He's a lot faster than you and I, but
not a lot faster than his prey. He also
cannot run as far as the animals he
eats, so he has to be hide until the last
possible moment.
SNUG AND WARM:
While a cougar can keep warm in the
snow, nobody beats the snow leopard at
braving the worst that winter has to
offer. This cool cat shrugs off the chill
with the densest coat of any cat. When
the gales are fiercest, they curl up in a
protected spot, their long furry tail
wrapped tightly around the face like a
muff.
Where Do We Live?
SIZE MATTERS:
How big is a cat? As big as it needs to
be! Large, powerful cats like lions and
tigers hunt the large, powerful animals
of the African Savanna and Asian
forests. There are also a lot of
fascinating small cats that stalk through
the bushes and tall grasses in search of
rodents and birds. This division of jobs
and living space allows several types of
cats to live in the same environment.
IN GROUPS, OR NOT:
Lions hunt together in groups called
"prides." Cheetah brothers stay together
for life. The other cats spend a great
deal of time alone except for mothers
and their young. Still, there are times
when cats seek out the company of their
own kind, and not just during the
breeding season. Tigers play, jaguars
tussle, and feral cats form groups called
"clowders."
UP, DOWN, AND ALL AROUND:
Some cats like leopards spend a lot of
time in trees. Others like ocelots almost
never come down. Lions spend most of
their time on the ground though some
sleep in trees. Servals try to bridge the
gap between both worlds, hiding in the
tall grass and making spectacular leaps
to catch low-flying birds. Tigers climb
rather well, but only when they have to.
WHERE THEY CAN:
Sand cats live in hot deserts where their
oversized ears help him stay cool. Snow
leopards have a different problem...they
live in an icy, windy world where only
their thick coat and long, bushy tail
keeps them warm. Cats are found in
jungles, mountain passes, grasslands,
almost everywhere that they can find
enough to eat.
WHERE THEY ARE TAKEN:
Animals released where they do not
belong often die off or spread too fast. In
Australia, rabbits brought in for hunting
multiplied out of control. Domestic cats
were brought in to control the rabbits,
but they ended up killing native wildlife.
The adjustment of a cat to his world is a
delicate and special thing that deserves
our respect...and caution.
Kits, Kittens and Cubs
TIGER:
A tiger cub is born with his unique
pattern of stripes that mark him as an
individual. During the two years he
spends with his mother, he will grow a
tremendous amount. Of course that
takes a lot of meat, and his mother has
to work very hard to feed him and his
two sisters while taking care of herself.
LION:
Lion cubs are actually born with spots
that help keep them safe from predators.
As they grow, the spots disappear,
though some adult lions keep a few
spots on the legs. Unlike the tiger cub,
this lion will have "aunties" in the pride
that help him along. Female cubs tend
to stay in the pride of their birth. Male
cubs move along when their mane starts
to emerge and wander about as
bachelor males until they find a new
home.
AFRICAN LEOPARD:
African leopard cubs spend a great deal
of time in trees with their mother. They
learn at an early age the climbing skills
that help them survive as adults. When
this cub becomes an adult, he will be
able to take an entire antelope into a
tree to eat without disturbance from
scavengers below.
SNOW LEOPARD:
Snow leopard cubs come prepared for
the harsh weather of their natural
habitat. Still, nature gives them every
chance for survival since they are born
at a time of relative warmth and plenty.
The mother's rich milk helps them
generate the body heat and grow the
body mass necessary to face the long
winter ahead.
CHEETAH:
Cheetah cubs start out life with a fuzzy
mane that runs the length of their back.
It helps them hide from predators, and
that's rather important. Cheetahs have
the lowest infant survival rate of any of
the big cats. African tribesmen share a
story that the distinctive black marks
running from the eyes to the mouth are
the tear stains of the mother crying for
her lost children.
CLOUDED LEOPARD:
Clouded leopard cubs share the African
Leopard cubs' love of climbing, though
they are not closely related at all. The
Clouded Leopard is not a true leopard.
As you can see, this cub has blue eyes.
Most cubs have blue eyes, but they
soon change to the adult brown colo
COUGAR:
Cougar kits, like all infant big cats, have
to learn how to stay put when mom is
away hunting. Their spot pattern keeps
them safely hidden in the brush till
dinner is served. They are curious about
a great many things. Some, like turtles,
can be very frustrating. Others, like
porcupines, can be very dangerous. But
mom teaches them that a porcupine that
is flipped over to reveal the unprotected
stomach can make a great meal.
BOBCAT:
Bobcat kittens, like all young cats,
spend hours playing and exploring.
While enjoying themselves, they learn
the skills they need to survive as adults.
Though they may look like the kittens in
your pet store, they already have the ear
tufts and short tail that set them apart.
JAGUAR:
Jaguar cubs, like leopard cubs, can be
born spotted or all black. Like their
mother, they enjoy being in and around
the water. They hope you will take good
care of their world so they can enjoy the
same life their parents had.